‘A paternity enactment was never submitted to Parliament’, is Pedro Atacho’s (chairman of Parliament, PAR) reaction on yesterday’s letter to the editor from Doctor Sergio Leon in newspaper Amigoe. In his letter, Leon criticizes the fact that there is no paternity act in the Antilles and establishes that this is because politicians have ‘too much butter on their heads’.

Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles back the Antillean government in her protest against the introduction of the Index Reference Antilleans (VIA) or any other equivalent registration that is based on ethnicity. This parliament also requests the De Jongh-Elhage government, the Governing Bodies of the Antillean island territories, the United Nations, and the European council of Ministers to let this be known.

ProFor Foundation, a consultancy that promotes the integration and participation of the several ethnic groups within the Dutch society, is going to organize an informative meeting on the political renewal and the position of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, and the Netherlands. This meeting will be held at Keienbergweg 3 in Amsterdam Zuidoost on Sunday 5 October from 14:00 till 18:00 hour.

The request for a possible postponement of the 2010 Parliament elections is currently not under discussion, indicated the State Council in a published information on the acceleration of the transition process, which was requested by the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles.

A ‘supervisory director’ course has been set up under the Good Governance chair of the University of the Netherlands Antilles (UNA). Recently, a number of companies have received correspondence regarding this new course.

The Island States strive for achieving higher productivity this year, for giving more information on the method of working, and for finally rounding off the privatization. Parliament can this way operate even more independently from the governor and the Land. An independant parliament is also a nice gift for the new countries Curacao and St. Maarten that can take this over integrally.

Neither the government of the Netherlands Antilles, nor that of Curacao agree with the role that the StateCouncil (RvS) allots the governor in the advice on accelerating the transition process. The Antillean advisors are currently working on a counter-advice, says Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage (PAR). Also the Curacao advisors are going to look into the part.

Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage (PAR) is of the opinion that the Index Reference Antilleans (VIA – Verwijsindex Antillianen) makes ethnical and racial based distinction and stigmatizes the Antillean population as a whole. This is what she wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (CDA) and Integration-minister Ella Vogelaar (PvdA) that was sent earlier this week.

On Friday 19 September, the Faculty of Law is organizing a lecture entitled "De Curacaose identiteitbinnen een Caribische context" by Dr. Rose Mary Allen.
The lecture will start at 20.00 hour in classroom N5 of the University of Netherlands Antilles.

Minister Ersilia de Lannooy (Finance, PNP) has build in a 10 million guilder reserve in the budget for 2009. Because the budget is balanced, – no loss, but also no bank balance – the reserve is in fact a ‘surplus’.

A careful dismantling of the country Netherlands Antilles and a substantial transfer of powers form the core of the policy for the coming parliamentary year. The emphasis lays on cooperation between existing and future entities. A sharp debate about the future structure is acceptable, but with respect and dignity. Tolerance is an absolute condition to form the political reformation in a dignified manner.

The European Commission plans to investigate the proposed takeover of Martinair by Air France-KLM. The commission is worried the purchase will reduce competition on the routes between Amsterdam and Curaçao and Aruba.

"Now that we are on the threshold of an extremely important transition in the history of our Country, it’s going to be our decision whether we blow the opportunities offered to us or we utilize this moment in history to create a better Curacao for the next generations", started Ron Gomes Casseres his speech yesterday at the opening of UNA’s academic year.

The administration of law department of the State Council decided today that the Dutch government is allowed to store the personal information of Antillean and Aruban problem young persons in a databank, the so-called Reference Index Antilleans (VIA-Verwijsindex Antillianen).

Homosexual association Fundashon Orguyo Kòrsou (Foko) considers the decision of the Netherlands to store the data of young Antilleans in a databank as discriminatory as the Antillean refusal to register the in the Netherlands contracted gay marriages.

The island council of Curacao has meanwhile committed her support to the government of the Netherlands Antilles and the deliberative body Caribbean Dutch Citizens (OCaN) if they decide to tale legal proceedings against the Netherlands’ intentions to store personal information of Antillean young persons in a Reference-index Antillean citizens (VIA).